Pastel
by Howlitzer
Summary: Fill between the lines, please.


a/n: Playing with concepts. Enjoy.

* * *

 _Something to warm the soul, right?_

"Did you say something?" the young fox asked.

"Nothing at all," the bat replied.

"Alright. Sorry."

"It's no trouble, hon." He watched the curve of her back for a moment as she polished another glass, holding it up to the light. He returned his attention to the laptop sitting on the bar in front of him. Steam rose up from a mug of warm cocoa nearby. A warm red scarf was around his neck.

"How're you feeling?"

"Huh?"

"I asked how you were doing, hon. You okay?" Her eyes showed warmth and concern. The sweater on her body was her version of modest, but it ended up looking provocative anyways with her figure. She turned herself towards the young visitor and continued polishing the glass in her hand.

"I'm fine. Nothing's really going on," he said. He cracked his neck and loosened his tense arms.

"Yeah, seems like it." She let out a hearty sigh and smiled. "Long as you're doing okay."

"What about you?"

"Always peachy, darling. But you're sweet for asking."

"What do you think about it? You know, the current goings on."

"Eh."

Tails went back to his work on the laptop. "That sounds about right, I guess."

"Eh-? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it means."

She finished with her glass and pouted before picking up another one. "Mean. Terrible."

His eyes rolled to the side a bit as he ignored her and sipped at his cocoa.

"Is this where you wanna be?"

"I came inside, didn't I?"

She shook her head. "I meant in life."

"Then yeah. You have better ideas?"

"I keep forgetting you're not as sweet as you used to be," she said with a playful pout. "Your tongue is too sharp. Too sharp! Tails~! Be nice!"

"Eh."

"You're not too grown up for a spanking, you know."

"Probably."

She finished polishing the glass in her hand and set it down. With a small sigh, she grabbed a clear mug and opened one of the nearby taps to fill it with beer.

"Things like that take a lot of courage, you know. It's drastic of you to challenge the world. Especially them."

"Yeah," he replied. "I know. I would think you'd have a grasp on that sort of thing. You did work for them at one point."

"Is this something you have to do?"

"Yeah. Feels like it."

"What if you didn't take that first step?" she asked. "Like, all that time ago."

"I'd probably be dead by now. It was the foolish kid back then who wanted to chase someone, and it turned into this."

"A little bitter, isn't it?"

"Someone flies onto your island and you respond by fixing their plane for no reason. What's that if not foolish?"

"Brave. Inspiring. Maybe childish."

"Sounds flowery."

"I'm a woman, after all."

His eyes flickered to her chest and back. "Seems like it."

"Hm?" She made a sound as she sipped from the clear mug.

"You're annoying like this sometimes." He looked into her aquamarine eyes. "What about Shadow?"

"What about him?"

"Are you seriously asking that?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to..." He made a face as she sipped from her mug again. This time his expression was visible.

"It's not a competition."

"You've got a few screws loose. I'm still a kid, even after all of this time," he said.

"Are you?"

"Stop asking weird questions."

"Mm."

"Rouge."

She set the mug down on a coaster and looked into his blue eyes. "It's what I want."

"..." He frowned and tilted his head down to hide his blush.

"Sorry."

"...I don't hate it."

"I'm glad."

He gulped down his cocoa and moved the empty glass towards her. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"H-hey."

"Yeah?" he replied as he left his stool.

"Does he...you know. Know?"

Tails tightened the scarf around his neck. "Nothing gets past that kind of annoying guy. He saw you looking a long time ago, but apparently...the chances of this were low."

"Just low? Not impossible?"

"You think that guy uses a scientific method? Nothing is impossible according to him."

"Isn't he right? We've come this far, haven't we?"

"No comment. I'll see you in a bit."

"Ah, geez. What's with you..." She wrapped her hands around his empty mug and stared at it absentmindedly. He looked at her for a moment before heading out through the door.

"No sign of snow yet, eh." He looked to the clear sky. "Maybe I'll take her flying today. It's still early."

"Tails!"

He had only made it a few feet from the club when she poked her head out.

"Ah?"

"Get me a warm danish."

"Apple?"

"Yeah. I want something sweet."

He smirked. "What? I'm not enough for you?"

"Stop bullying! Turn back into a kid! A kid!"

"Don't say that out loud, oi!"

"Get me two danishes."

"You'll get fat."

"Does that matter to you?"

He turned and walked to his destination. "No," he called over his shoulder.

She watched his back until he disappeared around the corner.

"That's a childish way of thinking. I'm a woman, you know."

Rouge smiled and leaned back against the door, blushing.

"What a strange place we've arrived at."


End file.
